Louis Dreyfus inaugurates Russian grain terminal

Louis Dreyfus Co. Vostok LLC has inaugurated a grain terminal in Russia’s Rostov region, completed in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The terminal is located on a 20-hectare land plot in the Azov district on the river Don, and includes two berths and ten silos with a total storage capacity of 50 000 t. It will be used for the transshipment of grains on sea-river vessels with an initial annual export capacity of 800 000 t, aiming to exceed 1 million t over time.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several local government officials.

“Historically, Russia has been a country of particular significance for our Group, which has been active here since 1864. With its grains production now exceeding 100 million t annually, it is one of the leading producers and exporters of wheat and barley globally, with excellent potential for further growth. We are convinced that Russia will remain a dominant player in the global agricultural markets, and we have been reinforcing our presence through continuous investment in several grain assets over the past ten years,” said Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.

“We are proud to celebrate the completion of this new terminal today, in line with our commitment to the Russian government’s goal of increasing grain production and exports by 2020,” said Gonzalo Ramírez Martiarena. “The new facility will not only support the growth of LDC’s grain export activities in the region, but will also boost local employment and facilitate access of local producers to world markets.”

“Adding logistic and export capacity with this terminal, strategically located on the Don river and well connected to the farm gate, will help us to serve our customers around the world more efficiently,” said David Ohayon, Senior Head of Grains and Value Chain Platforms and Head of the Europe, Middle East & Africa Region at Louis Dreyfus Company. “The Azov facility is LDC’s first grain terminal in Russia, alongside our 5 offices and 10 inland silos, and brings our total storage capacity in the country to over 1 million t.”

The acquisition of the Azov terminal followed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation in June 2015 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum between the Governor of the Rostov Region, Vasily Golubev, and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, Chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V. The project was supported throughout its development by the Rostov region’s Investment Promotion Agency.